Abstract: An interface between an existing local file system and a data store generates and exports to the data store a versioned file system. The state of the local file system at a given point in time can be determined using the versioned file system. In operation, the interface creates and exports to the data store structured data representations, which correspond to versions of the local file system, as well as actual file system data that these structured data representations represent. A cache associated with the interface stores recently used data and metadata, as well as all write data and metadata waiting to be transferred to the data store. Prior to transfer, one or more data transformations may be applied to the data and metadata. In one embodiment, the data store comprises one or more cloud storage service providers. A content control system is used to configure and manage the interface.

Abstract: A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations. At a first time, an interface creates and exports to a cloud data store a first structured data representation corresponding to a first version of the local file system. The first structured data representation is an XML tree having a root element, one or more directory elements associated with the root element, and one or more file elements associated with a given directory element. Upon a change within the file system, the interface creates and exports a second structured data representation corresponding to a second version of the file system. The second structured data representation differs from the first structured data representation up to and including the root element of the second structured data representation. The interface continues to generate and export the structured data representations to the data store.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations, such as XML. Each structured data representation corresponds to a “version,” and each version comprises a tree of write-once objects rooted at a root directory manifest. Each version in the versioned file system has associated therewith a “borrow window.” When it is desired to reconstruct the file system to a point in time (or, more generally, a given state), i.e., to perform a “restore,” it is only required to walk (use) a single structured data representation (a tree). During a restore, metadata is pulled back from the cloud first, so users can see the existence of needed files immediately. The remainder of the data is then pulled back from the cloud if/when the user goes to open the file. As a result, the entire file system (or any portion thereof) can be restored to a previous time nearly instantaneously.

Abstract: A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations. At a first time, an interface creates and exports to a data store a first structured data representation corresponding to a first version of a local file system. The first structured data representation is an XML tree having a root element, one or more directory elements associated with the root element, and one or more file elements associated with a given directory element. Upon a change within the file system (e.g., file creation, file deletion, file modification, directory creation, directory deletion and directory modification), the interface creates and exports a second structured data representation corresponding to a second version of the file system. The second structured data representation differs from the first structured data representation up to and including the root element of the second structured data representation. The data store may comprise a cloud storage service provider.

Abstract: An automated system randomly generates test cases for hardware or software quality assurance testing. A test case comprises a sequence of discrete, atomic steps (or “building blocks”). A particular test case has a variable number of building blocks. The system takes a set of test actions and links them together to create a much larger library of test cases or “chains.” The chains comprise a large number of random sequence tests that facilitate “chaos-like” or exploratory testing of the overall system under test. Upon execution in the system under test, the test case is considered successful if each building block in the chain executes successfully; if any building block fails, the test case, in its entirety, is considered a failure.

Abstract: A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a “hands-off” objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not “care” or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an “image” of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out.

Abstract: A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations, such as XML. Each structured data representation corresponds to a “version,” and each version comprises a tree of write-once objects rooted at a root directory manifest. Each version in the versioned file system has associated therewith a “borrow window.” When it is desired to reconstruct the file system to a point in time (or, more generally, a given state), i.e., to perform a “restore,” it is only required to walk (use) a single structured data representation (a tree). During a restore, metadata is pulled back from the cloud first, so users can see the existence of needed files immediately. The remainder of the data is then pulled back from the cloud if/when the user goes to open the file. As a result, the entire file system (or any portion thereof) can be restored to a previous time nearly instantaneously.

Abstract: A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations, such as XML. Each structured data representation corresponds to a “version,” and each version comprises a tree of write-once objects rooted at a root directory manifest. Each version in the versioned file system has associated therewith a “borrow window.” When it is desired to reconstruct the file system to a point in time (or, more generally, a given state), i.e., to perform a “restore,” it is only required to walk (use) a single structured data representation (a tree). During a restore, metadata is pulled back from the cloud first, so users can see the existence of needed files immediately. The remainder of the data is then pulled back from the cloud if/when the user goes to open the file. As a result, the entire file system (or any portion thereof) can be restored to a previous time nearly instantaneously.

Abstract: A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster.

Abstract: A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster.

Abstract: A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a “hands-off” objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not “care” or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an “image” of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out.

Abstract: A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations, such as XML. In a representative embodiment, at a first time, the interface creates and exports to the data store a first structured data representation corresponding to a first version of the local file system. The first structured data representation is an XML tree having a root element, one or more directory elements associated with the root element, and one or more file elements associated with a given directory element. Upon a change within the file system (e.g., file creation, file deletion, file modification, directory creation, directory deletion and directory modification), the interface creates and exports a second structured data representation corresponding to a second version of the file system. The second structured data representation differs from the first structured data representation up to and including the root element of the second structured data representation.

Abstract: A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a “hands-off” objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not “care” or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an “image” of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out.

Abstract: A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster.

Abstract: A hierarchical, probability-based look-up method and apparatus for selection of an operation for job generation. Bitmaps are set based on the priority class of pending operation requests. The bitmap values are used to select a priority class and an operation for the selected priority class in a two-step, probability-based table look-up.

Abstract: A memory storage device has a file storage operating system which uses an inode to record and find segments of each data file. The inode includes a plurality of rows. A portion of the rows are written with direct extents pointing to data blocks storing portions of file segments. At least two of the extents point to data blocks having addresses in different logical volumes.